Instant change tool holder

ABSTRACT

A tool holder characterized in that the drive housing socket and the tool adaptor shank driven thereby have a quick release connection with each other, and have sleeves rotatable thereon to facilitate the connection and disconnection of the adaptor and housing without stopping rotation of the machine tool spindle in which the drive housing is adapted to be mounted. The housing sleeve is axially movable on the housing between locking and unlocking positions and the housing has a latch mechanism which holds the housing sleeve in unlocking position, the latch mechanism being operated by insertion of the adaptor shank into the housing socket to automatically release the housing sleeve for movement to adaptor locking position. The tool holder herein is further characterized in that the socket and shank have interengageable tapered surfaces which retain them in coaxial alignment without axial or radial play.

United States Patent Benjamin et al.

[451 Apr. 25, 1972 Filed:

inventors:

Assignee:

Appl. No.:

5/1963 6/1961 5/1970 Botimer 3/1970 INSTANT CHANGE TOOL HOLDER Milton L. Benjamin; David D. Walker; Wilbur N. Miles, all of Chagrin Falls, Ohio Erickson Tool Company, Solon, Ohio Apr. 3,1970

US. Cl. ..279/1 8, 279/1 E, 279/75,

Int. Cl. ..B23b 31/06 Field ofSearch ..279/1 B, l E, 89, 90, 91,75

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Bilz .,.....279/75 X Better et al.. ....279/75 ....279/91 Hammond et al. ..279/89 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 316,967 1 1/1969 Sweden ..279/75 Primary Examiner-Andrew R. J uhasz Attarney0berlin, Maky, Donnelly & Renner ABSTRACT A tool holder characterized in that the drive housing socket and the tool adaptor shank driven thereby have a quick release connection with each other, and have sleeves rotatable thereon to facilitate the connection and disconnection of the adaptor and housing without stopping rotation of the machine tool spindle in which the drive housing is adapted to be mounted. The housing sleeve is axially movable on the housing between locking and unlocking positions and the housing has a latch mechanism which holds the housing sleeve in unlocking position, the latch mechanism being operated by insertion of the adaptor shank into the housing socket to automatically release the housing sleeve for movement to adaptor locking position. The tool holder herein is further characterized in that the socket and shank have interengageable tapered surfaces which retain them in coaxial alignment without axial or radial play.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 27 3|| l 6 22 "T'ljl 2 5.72;

PATENTEDAPR 2 5 I972 upon/40% INVENTORS MILTON L. BENJAMIN DAV/D D. WALKER W/L BUR N. NHL 55 ATTORNEYS INSTANT CHANGE TOOL HOLDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known as disclosed in the Milton L. Benjamin et al application for U.S. Letters Pat. Ser. No. 779,070, filed Nov. 26, 1968, to provide a quick release connection between the socket portion of a rotary tool holder housing and a tool carrying adaptor wherein a spring actuated locking sleeve on the tool holder housing is adapted to hold balls extending through the wall of the socket portion in engagement with a peripheral groove in said adaptor, the sleeve being provided with an internal groove which is opposite the balls when the sleeve is moved against the spring whereby the balls may move radially outwardly into the groove so that the adaptor may be axially withdrawn from the housing'socket. However, in this known construction, it is necessary to stop the rotation to the spindles to which the tool holder is attached in order to insert the adaptor into the housing socket or to remove the adaptor from the socket. Furthermore, in such construction although the shank of the adaptor has a close fit in the cylindrical bore of the housing socket, the adaptor and the tool held therein may be subject to axial and radial play by the amount of any clearances between the shank and socket and between the locking balls and the surfaces engaged thereby when the balls are held in engagement between the locking sleeve and the adaptor shank groove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Contrary to the foregoing the tool holder herein has sleeves rotatably mounted on the drive housing and the tool adaptor whereby connection and disconnection may be effected while the housing rotates and also while the adaptor and the tool held thereby rotates when the adaptor is drivingly engaged with the housing. The invention herein is further characterized in that the locking mechanism actuator sleeve which is rotatably mounted on the housing, has a latched unlocking position which permits ready insertion of the adaptor and tool held thereby, the latch mechanism being automatically released from the actuator sleeve to lock the adaptor in the housing when the adaptor is inserted into the housing in driving engagement therewith.

The invention herein is further characterized in that the housing and adaptor locking means is effective to draw the tool adaptor shank against tapered surfaces in the housing socket thus to firmly and accurately secure the adaptor and housing in coaxial alignment without any axial or radial play.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a central vertical cross section view of a preferred form of tool holder showing the drive housing and tool adaptor in locked driving engagement;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross section view showing the drive housing lock actuating sleeve in a latched position ready for release to locking position upon insertion of the tool adaptor shank thereinto; and

FIG. 3 is a cross section view taken substantially along the line 34, FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The tool holder 1 herein comprises a drive housing 2 having a shank 3 by which it is adapted to be held in a machine tool spindle or the like (not shown). The end of the housing 2 opposite the shank 3 has a tubular socket 4 to receive the tool carrying adaptor 5, a drive connection between the housing 2 and the adaptor 5 being formed by the pin 6 which extends diametrically across the socket 4 and which is engaged in a diametrically extending slot 7 across the upper end of the shank 8 of the adaptor. Adjacent the mouth of the socket 4 the housing 2 has a plurality of holes radially through the wall thereof in which are disposed radially movable balls 9 which are of diameter greater than the wall thickness of the socket 4.

The cam or lock sleeve 10 actuated by the spring 11 is operative to cam or wedge the balls 9 radially inwardly as shown in FIG. 1 into locking position to engage the upper flank of the peripheral groove 12 in the shank 8, thus to urge the axially spaced apart coaxial tapered faces 14 of the adaptor 5 into engagement with complemental coaxial tapered surfaces 15 in the socket 4, thus to securely mount the adaptor 5 in accurate coaxial relation in the housing 2 without any axial or radial looseness.

Herein the adaptor 5 is provided with a collet chuck 17 or the like by which the tool 18 is secured in the adaptor 5 and as evident, other means of holding the tool 18 may be employed. Rotatable on the adaptor 5 is a ring or sleeve 19 which is axially retained between a snap ring 20 and a shoulder 21.

A sleeve 22 is rotatably supported on the housing 2 and on the lock sleeve I0 as by means of a series of balls 23 engaged in matching grooves around the lock sleeve 10, and within the sleeve 22. The sleeve 22 as can now be seen constitutes an actuator for the cam or lock sleeve 10 so that when the housing 2 and adaptor 5 are rotating in locked position, with corresponding rotation of the lock sleeve 10, the sleeve 22 may be grasped by hand andmoved upwardly with respect to the housing 2 to an unlocking position whereat the adaptor 5 is released for downward withdrawal from the housing 2.

Within the socket 4 adjacent the drive pin 6 is an ejector 24 which has a groove 25 diametrically across its lower end to fit over the pin 6 so as to engage the upper end of the adaptor shank 8 to urge the adaptor 5 out of engagement with the drive pin 6 when the ejector 24 is released for downward movement under the influence of the spring 26 acting thereon.

When it is desired to release the adaptor from the housing 2 while the housing and adaptor 5 are locked together with the adaptor 5 driven by the housing 2, the machine operator may grasp the ring 19 on the adaptor 5 and the actuator sleeve 22 and move the latter upwardly from the dot-dash line position of FIG. 2 to the solid line position of FIG. 2. In the upper position of the sleeve 22, the internal groove 27 therein is opposite the radial rows of balls 28 which are movable radially in holes in the housing 2 whereby the cam surface 29 on the ejector 24 will move the balls 28 radially outwardly to the FIG. 2 position in which theyare held by the cylindrical periphery 30 of the ejector 24. As the ejector 24 moves down to the FIG. 2 position it moves the adaptor 5 downwardly out of driving engagement with the drive pin 6, the balls 9 having at that time been cammed outwardly by the adaptor groove 12 to the position shown in FIG. 2, thus to free the adaptor 5 for downward removal of the shank 8 thereof from within the socket 4 of the housing 2. The housing sleeve 22 and lock sleeve 10 will be held in the upper latched unlocking position shown in FIG. 2 until the adaptor shank 8 is inserted into the socket 4. As the adaptor shank 8 is inserted into the socket 4 its drive groove 7 embraces the drive pin 6 and the upper end of the shank 8 will engage the ejector 24 to move the latter upwardly to release the balls 28 for radial inward movement whereupon the spring 11 will urge the lock sleeve 9 and actuator sleeve 22 downwardly to the FIG. 1 position to cause the balls 9 to be cammed and locked in a radial inward position in engagement with the upper flank of the adaptor groove 12.

It is to be noted that when the balls 9 are cammed radially inwardly by the lock sleeve 10, they will exert a vertical force component on the shank 8 thus to tightly urge the tapered surfaces 14 and 15 into firm engagement to eliminate axial or radial looseness so that there cannot be any wobbling or tilting of the adaptor 5 and tool 18 carried thereby with respect to the housing 2.

The upper end of the adaptor shank 8 has oppositely tapered surfaces 31 to facilitate entry of the drive groove 7 so as to embrace the drive pin 6 as the shank 8 is moved upwardly to engage the ejector 24 and to urge the ejector 24 upwardly against the pressure of its biasing spring 26.

For convenience, the ring or sleeve19 may have a concave contour as shown so that it may be grasped as between the forefinger and thumb of one hand while the tip of the thumb is pressed upwardly against the beveled collar 32 of the sleeve 22 to urge the latter upwardly to its FIG. 2 latched position whereat the adaptor is released and ejected as aforesaid. In inserting the adaptor shank 8 into the socket 4 while the sleeve 22 is in unlocked latched position, it is only necessary to grasp the ring or sleeve 19 of the adaptor 5 between the thumb and forefinger for example. and to move the adaptor 5 upwardly until the shank 8 engages the ejector 24 whereupon continued upward movement of the shank 8 and ejector 24 will permit the spring II to urge the lock sleeve 10 and actuator sleeve 22 downwardly thereby camming the balls 28 radially inwardly. At that time the lock sleeve 10 snaps down to its FIG. 1 position to force the balls 9 into firm engagement with the shank groove 12 to firmly seat the shank 8 in the socket 4.

It can be seen that the tool holder 1 herein is of such construction that tool mounting adaptors 5 may be quickly inserted or withdrawn from the housing 2 without stopping rotation of the housing 2. Furthermore, when the adaptor 5 has been released from the housing 2, the housing 2 adaptor 5 locking and unlocking mechanism remains latched in unlocking position ready for insertion of the next adaptor 5 whereupon when there is proper engagement between the adaptor 5 and the housing 2, the latching mechanism is released to firmly secure the adaptor shank 8 accurately in the holder socket housing 4 with the tapered locating surfaces 14 firmly engaged with corresponding tapered locating surfaces 15 in the socket 4 to secure accurate coaxial alignment between the adaptor 5 and the housing 2 without play.

We, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention:

1. In a tool holder wherein a rotary drive housing and a tool adaptor have an interfitting socket and shank axially releasably locked together by a lock sleeve which is axially movable on said housing from a spring biased locking position whereat it cams a locking element in said housing radially inwardly into engagement with a groove on said adaptor to an unlocking position whereat it releases said locking element for radial outward movement out of engagement with said groove for axial withdrawal of said shank from said socket, the improvement which comprises an actuator sleeve rotatably and axially fixedly connected to said lock sleeve, said actuator sleeve being adapted for grasping by hand to move said lock sleeve to said unlocking position; latch means in said housing operative to releasably engage said actuator sleeve to retain said lock sleeve in unlocking position; said latch means comprising a latch element movable radially into and out of engagement with a groove in said actuator sleeve, and an axially spring biased member which cams said latch element into engagement with said actuator sleeve groove and axially ejects said shank from said socket when said lock sleeve is moved to unlocking position and which is engaged by said shank and moved to release said latch element for radial movement out of said actuator sleeve groove.

2. The tool holder of claim I wherein said socket has a drive pin diametrically thereacross; and wherein said shank has an axial slot at its end which embraces said drive pin when said housing and adaptor are locked together.

3. The tool holder of claim 2 wherein said member has an axially slotted end fitting over said drive pin when said lock sleeve is in unlocking position, said end being engaged by the slotted end of said shank when said shank is axially inserted into said socket. 

1. In a tool holder wherein a rotary drive housing and a tool adaptor have an interfitting socket and shank axially releasably locked together by a lock sleeve which is axially movable on said housing from a spring biased locking position whereat it cams a locking element in said housing radially inwardly into engagement with a groove on said adaptor to an unlocking position whereat it releases said locking element for radial outward movement out of engagement with said groove for axial withdrawal of sAid shank from said socket, the improvement which comprises an actuator sleeve rotatably and axially fixedly connected to said lock sleeve, said actuator sleeve being adapted for grasping by hand to move said lock sleeve to said unlocking position; latch means in said housing operative to releasably engage said actuator sleeve to retain said lock sleeve in unlocking position; said latch means comprising a latch element movable radially into and out of engagement with a groove in said actuator sleeve, and an axially spring biased member which cams said latch element into engagement with said actuator sleeve groove and axially ejects said shank from said socket when said lock sleeve is moved to unlocking position and which is engaged by said shank and moved to release said latch element for radial movement out of said actuator sleeve groove.
 2. The tool holder of claim 1 wherein said socket has a drive pin diametrically thereacross; and wherein said shank has an axial slot at its end which embraces said drive pin when said housing and adaptor are locked together.
 3. The tool holder of claim 2 wherein said member has an axially slotted end fitting over said drive pin when said lock sleeve is in unlocking position, said end being engaged by the slotted end of said shank when said shank is axially inserted into said socket. 